Potatoes With Pizzazz: 12 Recipes To Last The Winter

With the exception of kale and squash, once winter comes, potatoes are it. Not that you'll hear us complaining.

Potatoes are brilliant, infinitely adaptable and even gluten-free. But if they're such a flexible vegetable, why do we spend so much time cutting them into cubes and making roasted potatoes to go with meats, stews and sandwiches?

Rather than stick with the mundane, here we bring you potatoes that have been mashed(!), smashed(!), turned into pizza, roasted with Parmesan and topped with eggs and cheese. All winter, you'll be eating potatoes with pizzazz.

A classic (and, really, tastes like potato pancakes, minus the frying), Potato Kugel is a wonder of Jewish cooking. All you need are potatoes, onions, egg, lots of salt and a grater.
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Incredibly luscious and totally vegan these potatoes get their flavor from a head of roasted garlic and a smattering of winter's herb: rosemary. Amazingly, lots of olive oil and starchy cooking water make them creamy -- without any dairy.
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This all-in-one brunch dish transforms potatoes into hash browns sprinkled liberally in smoked paprika, then makes them the basis for oozy baked eggs.
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Potato pancakes get a sweet, homey twist with the addition of my favorite root vegetables for the market. Don't worry, they're still oily enough for Hanukkah.
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Oh, the French. Only the thinnest people in the world would think to combine potatoes, butter, cheese and bacon in one little casserole dish. As an American, this'll stick to your ribs all winter.
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Carbs on top of carbs. We promise, you won't be sorry though. Thinly sliced potatoes mesh beautifully with savory pesto, and they make for a toothsome bite through this hearty pizza-like focaccia.
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Did you know? If you slice potatoes really thinly on a mandoline and then fry them in a thin layer of oil, you can easily make yourself a portion of potato chips (would recommend doing this for a crowd, though). Bear with us as we top those chips with Mexican breakfast favorites: beans, cheese, eggs, salsa.
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Rather than simply roast potatoes, here you roll them in spices and grated Parmesan, and then roast them up until they're crispy and cheesy. For good measure, we also throw in some squash.
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A glorious relief from Hellman's-coated potatoes, this tangy pesto potato salad is welcome, even in winter.
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Potatoes can be finger food, too -- even when not in French fry form. Spanish romesco sauce takes the place of ketchup, and crispy roasted roasted fingerlings get dunked right in.
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Smashing -- artfully opposed to mashing -- leaves potatoes with nice texture, rather than totally pulverizing them. Peas, parsley and chives add a rare splash of green.
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A potato frittata, more or less, Tortilla Española is a little bit harder to pull together than we'd have liked. Slices make a great brunch main, though, and bite-sized squares are fun for cocktail parties.
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